Braves at Mets
The fact Bartolo Colon makes his first start of 2017 at New York’s Citi Field is not surprising, but the oldest player in the majors will be wearing a different uniform when the Mets host the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Colon, who turns 44 in May, won 44 games while making 95 starts in three seasons with the Mets before signing a one-year deal with the Braves in the offseason.
After six scoreless innings in Monday’s season opener, the Braves' bullpen made a bloody mess of the seventh inning: five walks, three hits, one wild pitch and six runs allowed as the Mets prevailed 6-0. In contrast, the Mets' bullpen surrendered only two hits with four strikeouts in three scoreless innings. New York shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who hit .280 with 23 homers in his first season with the Mets in 2016, recorded three of the team's seven hits in the opener. First baseman Lucas Duda, who played just 47 games a season ago, hit a three-run double in the seventh.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN South (Atlanta), SNY (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Bartolo Colon (2016: 15-8, 3.43 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (2016: 7-8, 3.04)
Colon has won 233 games in his career, averaging 15.5 victories per season since turning 40 years old, but struggled in his first spring training with Atlanta (an 8.66 ERA in six games). He has led the National League in fewest walks per nine innings in each of the past two seasons, and has made 30-plus starts and pitched 190-plus innings in every season since 2013. Colon – who drew a loud ovation from Mets fans during pregame introductions Monday – makes his first start against the Mets since picking up a victory for the Yankees on July 2, 2011.
Although deGrom did not pitch after Sept. 1 last season and underwent surgery to repair a nerve in his right elbow, he recorded a 2.93 ERA across 15 1/3 innings while pronouncing himself healthy in spring training. He suffered from lack of run support in 2016, posting a 3.13 ERA while going 0-4 in 10 starts through May and June before winning four of his next five decisions. He made three starts against the Braves last season, going 1-1 with a 1.83 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Atlanta 1B Freddie Freeman, who collected three hits Monday, needed 28 at-bats to record his third hit last season.
2. New York P Noah Syndergaard left Monday’s opener after six innings with a blister (right middle finger); Mets manager Terry Collins told reporters after the game the right-hander’s next start will be pushed back a day to Sunday.
3. Mets P Seth Lugo has a partially torn UCL in his right elbow and has received a PRP injection, the team announced Tuesday, adding that surgery is not being considered at this time.